Embracing Intimacy: The Power of Personal Prayer

Devotional

Day 1: Intimacy with God through Personal Prayer

Prayer is a deeply personal act that fosters intimacy with God. It is not merely a ritual or a means to receive blessings but a profound connection with our Father, who knows us intimately. This relationship is foundational to our prayer life, as it allows us to approach God with openness and sincerity. In Luke 11:1-13, Jesus emphasizes the personal nature of prayer, teaching us to address God as Father, acknowledging both His closeness and His holiness. This personal connection is essential for every believer, as it was for Jesus, and it should be central to our lives as well. [57:40]

"Therefore, let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:28-29, ESV)

Reflection: How can you cultivate a more intimate and personal prayer life with God today? What steps can you take to deepen this relationship?

Day 2: Trusting in God's Faithful Provision

Just as a child trusts a parent, we are called to trust God to provide for our needs. Our prayers should reflect this trust, reminding God of His promises and relying on His faithfulness. This trust is not passive but active, as we engage in prayer with the confidence that God hears us and desires to meet our needs. Throughout Scripture, God's provision is evident, and we are encouraged to approach Him with the assurance that He is both willing and able to provide. [01:12:38]

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you struggle to trust God's provision? How can you actively remind yourself of His faithfulness today?

Day 3: The Power of Forgiveness in Prayer

Our relationship with God is hindered by sin, and we are called to seek forgiveness in prayer. This includes forgiving others, as God's forgiveness of us is linked to our willingness to forgive. Prayer is a time to reflect on our own need for forgiveness and to extend that same grace to those who have wronged us. By doing so, we maintain a healthy relationship with God and others, allowing His love and mercy to flow through us. [01:15:19]

"Bear with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." (Colossians 3:13, ESV)

Reflection: Think of someone in your life you need to forgive. Can you ask God to help you begin to extend His love and forgiveness to them today?

Day 4: Boldness and Vulnerability in Prayer

We are encouraged to be bold and vulnerable in our prayers, approaching God with sincerity and openness. Prayer is not about the eloquence of our words but about our willingness to draw near to God with our true selves. This boldness comes from the confidence that God is good and faithful, and He desires to hear from us. By being vulnerable in prayer, we allow God to work in our hearts and lives, transforming us into His likeness. [01:19:01]

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find it difficult to be vulnerable with God? How can you begin to open up to Him in prayer today?

Day 5: Rooted in the Goodness of God

Our confidence in prayer is rooted in the goodness of God. Throughout Scripture, God's goodness is evident, and this assurance allows us to pray with faith and trust in His character. From creation to the Exodus, from Ruth to Job, and ultimately in the life and resurrection of Jesus, God's goodness is a constant theme. As we commit to a life of prayer, let us do so with the knowledge that God is good and His plans for us are for our ultimate good. [01:23:53]

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!" (Psalm 34:8, ESV)

Reflection: How does the goodness of God influence your prayer life? What specific aspect of His goodness can you meditate on today to strengthen your faith?

Sermon Summary

As we gather today, we are reminded of the privilege of worship and the power of prayer. We come from diverse backgrounds, carrying unspoken burdens, yet we trust in the God of all creation who is with us and for us. As we embark on this new year, we reflect on the blessings of the past and look forward to what God has in store for us. This month, we dedicate ourselves to prayer, seeking God's guidance and presence in our lives. We are reminded that prayer is not just a ritual but a personal connection with God, our Father, who knows us intimately.

In Luke 11:1-13, Jesus teaches us that prayer is personal. It is about intimacy with God, not just about what we can get from Him. We are encouraged to develop our own prayer lives, not outsourcing them to others. Prayer is essential for every believer, as it was for Jesus. Luke, the gospel writer, emphasizes the importance of prayer, showing us that it was central to Jesus's life and should be to ours as well.

Prayer is personal because it is rooted in our relationship with God. We address Him as Father, acknowledging both His closeness and His holiness. We trust Him to provide for our needs, just as a child trusts a parent. We are reminded to pray for forgiveness, understanding that our relationship with God is hindered by sin. We also pray for the strength to forgive others, knowing that God's forgiveness of us is linked to our forgiveness of others.

Prayer is about being vulnerable and bold before God. It is not about the eloquence of our words but the sincerity of our hearts. We are encouraged to pray at all times, about everything, trusting in God's goodness and faithfulness. Our confidence in prayer comes from knowing that God is good, as testified throughout Scripture. From creation to the Exodus, from Ruth to Job, and ultimately in the life and resurrection of Jesus, God's goodness is evident.

As we move forward, let us commit to a life of prayer, knowing that God hears us and desires to commune with us. Let us pray with confidence, trusting in His promises and His character. May our prayer lives be a testament to our faith and a source of strength and hope in our journey as disciples of Jesus.

Key Takeaways

1. Prayer is Personal: Prayer is about intimacy with God, not just a means to receive blessings. It is a personal connection with our Father, who knows us and whom we know. This relationship is foundational to our prayer life. [57:40]
2. Trust in God's Provision: Just as a child trusts a parent, we are called to trust God to provide for our needs. Our prayers should reflect this trust, reminding God of His promises and relying on His faithfulness. [72:38]
3. Forgiveness and Prayer: Our relationship with God is hindered by sin, and we are called to seek forgiveness in prayer. This includes forgiving others, as God's forgiveness of us is linked to our willingness to forgive. [75:19]
4. Bold and Vulnerable Prayer: We are encouraged to be bold and vulnerable in our prayers, approaching God with sincerity and openness. Prayer is not about eloquence but about our willingness to draw near to God. [79:01]
5. Rooted in God's Goodness: Our confidence in prayer is rooted in the goodness of God. Throughout Scripture, God's goodness is evident, and this assurance allows us to pray with faith and trust in His character. [01:23:53]
** [83:53]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[47:39] - Opening Prayer and Worship
[48:51] - New Year Reflections
[51:40] - Month of Prayer Introduction
[54:10] - Special Welcome to Guests
[55:17] - Scripture Reading: Luke 11:1-13
[57:40] - Prayer is Personal
[61:10] - The Essential Nature of Prayer
[63:25] - Luke's Emphasis on Prayer
[66:26] - Jesus Teaches on Prayer
[69:02] - Trusting God as Provider
[72:38] - Trust and Prayer
[75:19] - Forgiveness in Prayer
[79:01] - Boldness in Prayer
[83:53] - God's Goodness and Prayer
[88:46] - Call to a Revolution of Prayer
[93:45] - Communion Preparation
[98:02] - Closing Prayer and Blessing

Sermon Clips

Father, we thank you that we get to join with the angels to declare today that you are good and faithful and true and holy above all else. God, I pray today that you would be glorified by our singing. God, as we come into this place from many different places and backgrounds and stories bearing burdens that. Many have left unspoken. God, we come to this place today and we trust that the God of all creation is with us. [00:46:58] (36 seconds)

And so we want to spend some time, amen, this month walking through a new series called Teach Me How to Pray, Teach Us How to Pray, and spending some concerted effort in prayer together. I want to again invite you to join us on Wednesdays at 6 p .m. throughout the month of January for an in -person prayer gathering. All church, everybody across ages are welcome to join us for that time. [00:52:33] (27 seconds)

While this book did not offer a lot of new insight about God, it was refreshing to me to be reminded. Reminded in this book, even as I served in ministry, I needed to be reminded that prayer is ultimately about intimacy with God. It's not about what I might get from God. It's not about how I might approach God in some formulaic way. Prayer is ultimately about intimacy with God. [00:59:06] (31 seconds)

We should desire not only to be prayed for, we should desire to grow in our own prayer life. Indeed, each of us, church, must learn to pray. But this idea of the essential nature of prayer for the believer did not begin with me. It is not my original idea. It is also not the original idea of Dr. Tim Keller. This belief that prayer is essential for each of us is as old as the Christian faith. [01:01:06] (34 seconds)

Luke writes to us church that it is through prayer that the believers are able to persist and not lose heart Luke tells us it is through prayer that the believers are able to keep from falling into temptation and Luke says that it is only because Jesus prayed for him that when Peter denied Jesus he did not fall into apostasy Jesus said I prayed for you you Luke wants us to see over and over again that when Jesus walked this earth prayer was an essential part of his life. [01:04:22] (40 seconds)

Jesus tells the disciples when you pray, you ought to pray this way. Begin by saying father. Jesus lifts up a term of personal relationship, a term of endearment, even that helps us to see that when we pray, our prayers are to a God who knows us and to a God that we know. Prayer is personal because God is our father. [01:07:46] (30 seconds)

Give us each day our daily bread. I love this part because it reminds us that our prayers are a sign that God is our provider, our sustainer, and we can trust God to do what God has said. A few days ago, my wife and I had occasion to travel to New York with our girls to spend a few days there around the New Year's holiday. [01:10:04] (28 seconds)

Hear me when I say this, church, sin, sin, even socially acceptable sin, gets in the way of our relationship with God. We know that sin is an issue. It causes a gap between us and God. And so Jesus says, as you pray, you should always be willing to ask God to forgive us for our sins. Those big, hairy, ugly sins that we commit and those little, cute ones that we would put up with if it was up to us. [01:14:08] (39 seconds)

Every single thing imaginable is fair game for us to pray about. There is nothing in our lives that God is not concerned with, so pray. All the time, about everything, be bold in our prayers, even when it does not make sense for us. Prayer is personal. Prayer calls us to be vulnerable and be bold. The final thing I want to share with us today is that prayer is actually rooted in the goodness of God. [01:20:54] (37 seconds)

Here's the heart of what I want to say to you about this concept, that what happens to us when we pray and what happens to our situations when we pray, all of it rests on the revelation that God is good. It rests on the fact that God is good. And I want to encourage you today, if you're that God is faithful and loving and true. So you might pray the wrong way and God is still good. [01:23:25] (27 seconds)

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